Sunday, 12 January 2014

Situated in Giverny, near Paris lies the Claude Monet house and garden. A large property beautifully landscaped with the famous lily pond and an abundance of flowers. It is a wonderful experience to walk the garden paths and take in the beauty and aroma of the many varieties of plants in bloom.

The large house is open to the public and wonderfully decorated. Each room has its own colour scheme. The kitchen is tiled in blue and white and the dining room is yellow. The living room is a calming light blue. Photography is not permitted in the house, but you may take pictures from Monet's bedroom window which offers great views of the garden. Everything inside the house was owned by Monet and is considered part of the museum. Touching or handling things is not permitted. There is a large gift shop where you can by prints of the many pantings by the artist as well as calendars and touristy memorabilia.

Claude Monet had his own personal bedroom but it is connected via the bathrooms to the bedroom of his wife Alice. The artists bedroom has a collection of paintings by other painters of his time, including Manet, Césanne and Renoir. There is also a large collection of Japanese woodblock prints displayed in various areas if the house. Monet drew inspiration from them. Monet was one if the few artists who became famous and wealthy in his own time.

Strolling through the garden is a photographers dream, the pond with its Japanese bridge and lilies is probably the most photographed. And all the flowers scream for close-ups.

The best times to visit Monet's house in Giverny is spring and autumn. But anytime from May to September is good. The plants all bloom at different times, so there is always something to see and smell.

A holiday to France should definitely include a visit to this beautiful estate.

Friday, 10 January 2014

The last two towns we visited were Domme and Bergerac. Domme lies
atop a cliffside along the Dordogne river and offers wonderful views over the
valley. There is also a large cave to see, however we did not go in. Called the
grotto of Domme, it stretches under the village and has tunnels connecting to
other caves.

When we visited, the town was very quiet and serene. We wandered
through the flower-lined streets and admired the buildings that have stood the
test of time. The town was built in 1280 by the French king Philippe the Bold
as a stronghold for the regions wealthy.

The grid shaped fortified town had four large gates of which three
still remain. In the largest of the four, the Porte thes Tours, the Knights
Templar were imprisoned during their trial, and there is plenty of evidence in
the form of wall scrapings, or medieval graffiti.

At the edge of town you'll find a large viewing area showing the
Dordogne river and the lush valley. Later that day we wondered down to the
river's edge and had a lovely picnic in the French shade.

the View is amazing

Then on to Bergerac and a visit to a vineyard.

This town was once the local wine and tobacco shipping capital of
the Dordogne region. There is a museum dedicated to each of these pleasures.
The town centre has been painstakingly restored to its former glory and is now
a popular place for foodies, wine lovers and people who simply love to walk
along the flower fields and river banks. Gastronomy is a big magnet here and
people from all over come to sample the restaurant's fares.

The centre of town, known as the "Place de la Myrpe"
hosts the market, where anything from fresh produce, flowers and fresh meats
are sold. It's neat to see a perfectly plucked duck on display, head still
attached to identify the breed, the same goes for chickens.

This town lies on the St. Jacques de Compostelle pilgrimage road,
and pilgrims would take a rest stop at St. Jacques church. The old cloister
nearby is now a popular wine showroom.

Blue shutters; Shelagh's favorite

Mailman's visit

Just after lunch we went looking for a local vineyard offering
wine tastings. Guy had researched a Chateau with large vineyards and we were
off to give it a try. Chateau de Monbazillac is located just outside Bergerac
and has lovely grounds to walk and huge vineyards. Off to the side is a modern
building where the wine tasting goes on, of course there is also a well stocked
store with bottles of wine for sale.

The chateau is open to the public and upon walking through the
castle it seemed much smaller than the way it looks from the outside. The steep
roof is built so that archers can be under the roof, but still fire at the
enemy. We tasted two white wines and four reds, and decided to buy six bottles
of a type of red wine that was on special production to the Dutch royal family.
We aged it for three years minimum and it tasted just alright. Too bad.

the view from the chateau

We would
live in this province of France anytime, the scenery, history and daily goings
on are a joy to experience. If you ever get the opportunity to visit this area
go for it. Aquitaine is a wonderful scenic place and not to be missed.